WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Catching Up with Early RevoluSunaries

In 2010, Wayne Kouchi and his wife had RevoluSun install solar PV on their home. By taking advantage of rebates and hosting solar open houses in his Central Oahu neighborhood where they referred friends and family — earning $3,500 in referral fees from RevoluSun — Kouchi had paid off his system within a year of its installation. “I hosted the solar open houses by opening my yard to my neighbors, but RevoluSun set up the tents and did everything else,” Kouchi recalls. Kouchi’s bill for power has only been $17 per month since turning his system on.

“Since the system has been paid off for so long, I get to put all that money that would have been on electric bills back in the bank,” he chuckles. He and his wife first decided to use RevoluSun after realizing they worked with the electricians that they knew and trusted. “Everything from the installation to the financing, they took care of. I didn’t have to worry about anything. They always communicated and took good care of us.”

Dan Riopel of Mililani also had RevoluSun install his system in August 2010. “I’ve experienced savings of about $200 per month since having solar power,” he says. “It should pay itself off completely in about two more years, and it may increase the resale value of the house.”

RevoluSunaries like Kouchi and Riopel that bought their systems years ago agree that having a PV system is the gift that keeps on giving. Despite any extra hoops to jump through currently, Kouchi maintains that the long-term benefits far outweigh any short-term hurdles. “I keep telling the young couples I talk to, they think they can’t afford it but with the rebates and referral system, there’s no excuse not to,” he says. “Plus, they are working, they are making money and will be able to pay it off quickly and then cruise the rest of their lives. They would be crazy not to.”

Those who sign up for a free home solar energy analysis will receive a sealed Golden Ticket at RevoluSun’s booth at the BIA Remodel it Right, Remodel it Green show, held Friday – Sunday, August 8-11, 2014. A RevoluSun project developer will open the Golden Ticket during the home visit to reveal the amount of savings, which will be a discount ranging from $500 to $5,000 off of a RevoluSun solar energy system. Also, project developers at the booth will be able to help customers with any questions they have about their neighborhood’s grid.